SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE
The Florida Gulf Coast University Sports Information Office is located in the Department of
Intercollegiate Athletics in Alico Arena. The Sports Information Office is on the third floor in room
1090.
The sports information staff will assist you to the fullest extent possible in your coverage of the
Eagles. Please contact Assistant Sports Information Director Michael Hill with any questions,
concerns, or requests.
CREDENTIALS
A media credential issued by the Sports Information Office is required in order to gain access to
Alico Arena on game days. To request a credential, please contact Michael Hill at (239) 5907064, or via email at mhill@fgcu.edu. Credential requests must be made at least 24 hours in
advance for each game. If time permits, the passes will be mailed. If not, the passes will be left at
Will Call, located at the front entrance of Alico Arena.
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Photo credentials should be requested in the same manner as media credentials. NCAA policy
establishes that only photographers on assignment will be afforded credentials. Designated
areas for photographers have been marked on each baseline, all photographers must remain
within the designated areas.
GAME DAY SERVICES
Complete play-by-play, halftime box scores, final box scores, quotes and out-of-town scores will
be provided, along with game programs, media guides and game notes for each team.
WIRELESS INTERNET
Wireless internet access is available inside of Alico Arena. There is no username or password
required to access the internet.
PRESS TABLE & MEDIA SEATING
Work space at the press tables in Alico Arena is limited. Space for working writers, television, and
radio broadcasters and scouts is located in the press section on the north end of the floor. For
larger events, media outlets may be assigned to media tables along the baseline. All seating is
assigned.
POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCES/ INTERVIEWS
The conference room on the third floor of Alico Arena will serve as the interview room for all
home games. Head coaches and requested players will be available for post-game interviews
after the NCAA-mandated 10 minute “cooling off” period. Please make postgame player
interview requests for both teams to FGCU Assistant SID Michael Hill prior to the end of the
game.
NON-GAME DAY INTERVIEWS
All player and coach interviews should be scheduled through the Sports Information Office. We
will do our best to coordinate an interview time that is convenient to both the student-athlete or
coach and media member. The best time to interview a student-athlete or coach is after practice.
Please contact Assistant Sports Information Director Michael Hill to schedule all interviews.
GAME NOTES AND STATISTICS
Up-to-date statistics are available at FGCUAthletics.com. A full PDF version of game notes can
be downloaded from the FGCU website or emailed upon request by Michael Hill (mhill@fgcu.
edu). Media members can also contact the SID office to be placed on the email distribution list
for press releases.

When referring to the University, please be aware of the following usage policy. First
references to the school and its intercollegiate athletic programs should always be the
Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles. The only secondary references used should be
“FGCU”, ”Florida Gulf Coast”, or “Eagles.” Please refrain from using “Fla. Gulf Cst.”,
“Gulf Coast”, or any other similar combina­tion.

FGCU will open up its five-game road swing with a pair of games in the
Caribbean Challenge in Riviera Maya, Mexico Nov. 25-26. The Eagles
will face Virginia Tech and Purdue while in Mexico. The Hokies and the
Boilermakers will be th 12th and 13th BCS opponents the Blue and Green
have faced in the program’s brief Division l history. The Eagles are coming
off a 60-48 win at home over Troy.

FGCU RANKED #7 IN MID-MAJOR PRESEASON POLL
The Florida Gulf Coast women’s basketball team earned a spot in the
CollegeInsider.com Women’s Mid-Major Top 25 poll, announced on
Tuesday, Nov. 16. The Eagles started the season ranked No. 14.

OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
After defeating Seton Hall 64-57, FGCU is now 8-1 all-time in season
openers, including wins in three of the last four. The Eagles only loss in
a home opener came at the hands of Florida State in the 2007-08 home
opener (1st season of Division 1).

THE BLUE AND GREEN VS. THE ACC

Over a decade after creating the Mid-Major Top 25 for division I men’s
basketball, CollegeInsider.com has joined forces with the Atlantic Sun
Conference to establish the women’s Mid-Major Top 25.

Thursday night’s game vs. Virginia Tech will be FGCU’s fifth game against
a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Blue and Green
are 0-4 all-time vs. the ACC. The Eagles dropped their last meeting with an
ACC squad (Miami) 70-57 in Coral Gables, Fla. in the first round of the 2010
Postseason WNIT.

HI...MY NAME IS

THE BLUE AND GREEN VS. THE BIG TEN

Karl Smesko has assembled a young and talented staff in his ninth season
at the helm of the FGCU women’s basketball program. Abby Scharlow
and Herman Burge join 3rd year assistant Chelsea Dermyer as assistant
coaches. Former UConn standout, Mel Thomas, came aboard as the
director of operations.

The Eagles have played just one game in their history against a team
currently in the Big Ten. On December 13, 2009, FGCU fell in East Lansing,
Mich. to then No. 21 Michigan State, 94-71.

FGCU VS. BCS OPPONENTS

FGCU is 3-8 all-time against BCS foes after picking up a win over BIG EAST
opponent Seton Hall in the season opener on Nov. 12 at Alico Arena. The
Senior Shannon Murphy, a 2010 preseason All-Conference selection, is the Eagles’ three wins over BCS opponents have been in Fort Myers. Virginia
Blue and Green’s top returning scorer (10.7 ppg). The senior ranked first in
Tech and Purdue are the second and third of four BCS foes FGCU will
the conference and 45th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.71) last
square off against this season. The Eagles will play host to Indiana on Dec.
season, while also shooting .354 from three-point range and leading the
21.
team with 33.0 minutes per game.

SHANNON MURPHY LEADS THE RETURNERS

The list of returnees from last year’s squad, includes Murphy and fellow
senior Shavonne Butler, along with three juniors and a pair of redshirtfreshmen.
The returners in the junior class include a trio of highly-seasoned players
in Courtney Chihil, Eglah Griffin and Kelsey Jacobson. Chihil, who returns
from a knee injury suffered in the Eagles WNIT matchup at Miami, was
FGCU’s top rebounder (6.2 rpg) and three-point threat (41.3-percent) last
season. Griffin averaged 7.6 points per contest in 2009-10, while Jacobson,
the 2009 A-Sun Freshman of the Year, is FGCU’s second ranked returning
scorer and three-point threat.
Redshirt-freshmen Kiara Bomben and Sarah Hansen round out the
returning players.

6

LOOK MOM I’M ON TV
FGCU will be on TV (Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast - CSS) twice this
season. The Eagles will have a TV slate that includes a road contest with the
Bruins of Belmont on Monday, January 31 in Nashville, Tenn. The Blue and
Green make their second CSS appearance in as many weeks when they
host the defending A-Sun champion ETSU Lady Bucs on Monday, February
7 at Alico Arena.

Caribbean Challenge • November 25-26, 2010
WE’RE GOING STREAKING

THREE IS THE KEY

Florida Gulf Coast University has not lost a home game in Alico Arena since
January 8, 2009 against East Tennessee State University. FGCU’s 60-48
win over Troy (Nov. 21) bumped the Eagles home win streak to 26 games.
FGCU’s 26-game home winning streak is the third longest streak in the
nation behind UConn and Stanford.

• The Eagles went 19-3 when they shot 24 or more three-pointers in a game
in 2009-10.
• FGCU finished 18-3 when they drained nine or more shots from behind the
arc during the 2009-10 season. The Blue and Green also held a 22-4 record
when they knocked down more 3-point shots than their opponent.
• FGCU held their opponents to .317 (134-of-423) from behind the arc, while
the Eagles drained 317-of-876 (.362) three-pointers in 2009-10.
• FGCU took a school-record 46 three-pointers in their 67-47 win at
Lipscomb (previous record was 45 attempts vs. UNF on March 1, 2008)

Team
1. Connecticut
2. Stanford
3. FGCU

Streak
63
45
26

WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE
FGCU has a 121-9 (.931) all-time record at home. Since moving to Division I,
the Eagles have compiled a 43-3 (.935) home record.
Year
2010-11
2009-10
2008-09
2007-08
2006-07
2005-06
2004-05
2003-04
2002-03
TOTAL

Record
2-0
14-0
15-1
12-2
23-0
17-1
11-4
12-1
15-0
121-9

HOME COOKIN’
Alico Arena has become one of the most intimidating places for opposing
teams in all of Division I women’s basketball. The Eagles have accumulated
a 43-3 record on their home court since moving to Division I, good for a .935
winning percentage. Only Tennessee, who has a .942 winning percentage
(327-20), has a higher all-time winning percentage at home.

FILLIN’ THE STAT SHEET
Playing in just her second game after suffering a knee injury in the final
game of the 2009-10 season (at Miami; 3/18/10), junior Courtney Chihil
came very close to becoming the first player in FGCU history to register a
triple-double against Troy. Chihil’s dominating performance on both ends
of the court featured 10 points, nine rebounds, seven steals and five assists
over 37 minutes. Her seven steals were a career-high and also rank second
all-time in the FGCU record books for steals in a single game.

NATION’S BEST
FGCU’s three-point prowess has been the program’s calling card from day
one and the 2009-10 version of the Eagles was no different. FGCU finished
the season ranked second in the nation in 3-pointers made per contest:
NCAA D-I TEAM - 3-Pointers Made Per Game
Team
3-pt FG/gm
1. Morehead State 10.3
2. FGCU
10.2
3. Middle Tennessee 10.1
4. Oral Roberts
9.2
5. Fresno State
8.9

Know Your Opponent: virginia tech
VA TECH IN NON-CONFERENCE GAMES
In the last 12+ seasons, Virginia Tech has enjoyed success in
non-conference regular season games, posting a 126-30 record in
non-conference contests overall, including a 20-4 record at neutral sites.
Last year the Hokies ended the nonconference slate with an 11-4 record.
TOUGH SCHEDULING
VT’s 2010-11 schedule will be a challenging one, as the Hokies face
2010 Elite Eight participant Duke along with seven other teams (Florida
State, Georgia Tech, Iowa, North Carolina, NC State, Vanderbilt, Virginia)
that made the 2010 NCAA Tournament field and eight teams (Charlotte,
Delaware, Florida Gulf Coast, Maryland, Miami, Robert Morris, Virginia
Commonwealth and Wake Forest) that participated in the 2010 WNIT. In
addition, Tech’s schedule includes three teams (No. 6 Duke, No. 9 Florida
State and No. 24 Vanderbilt) that ended the year in the ESPN/USA Today
Top 25.
BALLIN’ OUT OF THE STATES
The Hokies have played outside the United States seven times in the
history of the program and own a 16-4 record all-time on foreign soil. This
year’s trip to the Caribbean Challenge is Tech’s second trip to Cancun, as
they swept two games at the 2006 Caribbean Classic.

Know Your Opponent: Purdue
PRESEASON WNIT CHAMPS
With a 67-58 win over DePaul on Nov. 21, Purdue won the 2010
Preseason WNIT. This season marked the third Preseason Women’s
National Invitational Tournament appearance for the Boilermakers
and is their third trip to the Preseason WNIT finals. Purdue won the 2006
WNIT championship by defeating No. 16 Baylor, 69-55, on Nov. 19 in
Waco, Texas. In 2000, fourth-ranked Purdue finished as runners up to
No. 11 Louisiana Tech, 68-63.
HOUSER OUT FOR SEASON
Sophomore starting point guard KK Houser has torn the anterior cruciate
ligament in her right knee. Houser injured her knee at the 16:11 mark
in the first half of Purdue’s season opener against Austin Peay while
attempting a fastbreak layup in traffic. The Lincoln, Neb., native was a
starter in five of Purdue’s 32 games last year. She averaged 5.8 points, 2.1
rebounds and 1.7 assists in 19.0 minutes per game.
NO (SENIOR) CLASS
In an informal poll of NCAA Division I women’s basketball programs,
Purdue is one of seven schools without a senior on the roster (Illinois,
Maryland, Murray State, Miami, Oral Roberts and Rutgers).

• Mid-Ohio Conference Coach of the Year (1998)
• NAIA National Coach of the Year (1998)
• Division II South Region Coach of the Year (2007)
• A-Sun Coach of the Year (2009)

Karl smesko | head coach | 9th season
Karl Smesko, who enters his ninth year on the bench at FGCU, has enjoyed a tremendous run as the head women’s basketball coach at Florida Gulf
Coast University. He was selected as the university’s first women’s basketball coach in 2001.
Smesko’s career coaching record, which includes one year at Walsh, two seasons at IPFW and his eight seasons at FGCU, stands at 267-68 (.797) and
he owns an amazing 11-2 record (.846) in national tournament games. His record at FGCU is an astounding 206-41 (.834) and his three-season record
in Atlantic Sun Conference matchups is 47-9 (.839).
Last season, Smesko and the Eagles posted 24 wins, to secure the program’s seventh 21-plus win season in the eight-year program history, along
with a second place finish in the Atlantic Sun Conference. FGCU received the program’s first invitation to play in the preseason WNIT, where they
advanced to the second round with a win over UTEP before falling to New Mexico and Georgia Tech, and also secured their third consecutive
postseason WNIT automatic bid. By participating in the 2010 postseason WNIT, FGCU became the first A-Sun school to make three consecutive WNIT
appearances. During the 2009-10 season, the Blue and Green also extended its home winning streak to 24 games, which ranks as the fourth longest
home winning streak in Division I women’s basketball heading into the 2010-11 campaign.
In 2008-09, Smesko, who was voted A-Sun Coach of the Year, led the Lady Eagles to a Regular Season Atlantic Sun Championship with a 17-3
record. FGCU led the A-Sun in scoring, scoring margin, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, assists, assist-to-turnover ratio,
and three-point field goals made during the 2008-09 season. The Eagles also cemented a place in the All-Time A-Sun record books by winning 17
conference games. The Lady Eagles lost to eventual champion USF in the second round of the WNIT and finished the 2008-09 season with an overall
record of 26-5.
In the Eagles first Division I season, Smesko led the women’s basketball team to a second place finish in the A-Sun with a 13-3 record. They were
the fifth best offensive team in the A-Sun as well as the second best defense. They were second in free throw percentage and third in field goal
percentage. The Eagles lost to UF in the second round of the WNIT and finished the 2007-08 season with an overall record of 22-8.
He guided the Eagles to the Division II NCAA tournament twice. The 2006-07 team finished the regular season undefeated and ranked number one
in the nation. The team won the South Region championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship game. The Eagles were
National Runner up and finished with a 34-1 record. Smesko was named South Region Coach of the Year. Coach Smesko is one of an elite group of
coaches who has taken a team at two different universities to the national championship game (Smesko guided Walsh University to an NAIA National
Championship in 1998).
The 2006-07 squad ranked in the top 20 nationally in a remarkable 12 categories: #1 in win-loss percentage, #1 in scoring margin, #2 three-point
field goals per game, #2 scoring defense, #3 three-point field goal percentage, #5 scoring offense, #6 assists per game, #8 field-goal percentage,
#8 field-goal percentage defense, #11 steals per game, #18 turnovers per game, and #20 in rebound margin.
In his first season at FGCU, Smesko guided the 2002-03 Eagles squad to a 30-1 record. The Eagles followed with an 18-8 mark in 2003-04 and a 21-9
mark in 2004-05. Smesko led the Eagles to the NCAA tournament and a 29-2 record in 2005-06. FGCU advanced to the regional semifinals with a
win against Rollins.
Prior to taking the helm at FGCU, Smesko spent two seasons turning around the program at Indiana-Purdue/Fort Wayne from 1999 to 2001. Inheriting
a team that had posted a 2-24 the previous season and an 8-44 record the previous two seasons prior to his arrival, Smesko sparked an 11-win
improvement and a 13-14 record in 1999-2000. In his second season Smesko’s team posted the third-most wins in school history with a 19-8 mark.
Smesko started his college coaching career at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio in 1997-98. He led the Cavaliers to the 1998 NAIA Division II
National Championship with a 29-5 mark, a 12-win improvement over the previous year. Smesko, whose team had been predicted to finish sixth in the
nine-team Mid-Ohio Conference, was named the Mid-Ohio Conference and NAIA National Coach of the Year. It was the first national championship in
school history. He spent the 1998-99 season as an assistant coach for the University of Maryland in the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference.
Smesko, a native of Bath, Ohio who now resides in Fort Myers, was a 1993 Summa Cum Laude graduate of Kent State and earned his master’s
degree from Walsh University in 1998.

TEAM STATISTICS
SCORING
Points per game
Scoring margin
FIELD GOALS-ATT
Field goal pct
3 POINT FG-ATT
3-point FG pct
3-pt FG made per game
FREE THROWS-ATT
Free throw pct
F-Throws made per game
REBOUNDS
Rebounds per game
Rebounding margin
ASSISTS
Assists per game
TURNOVERS
Turnovers per game
Turnover margin
Assist/turnover ratio
STEALS
Steals per game
BLOCKS
Blocks per game
ATTENDANCE
Home games-Avg/Game
Neutral site-Avg/Game

2010-11 NOTES
In her first career start she finished with 10 points vs. Seton Hall (11/12/10) ... scored a game-high 17 points, including knocking down five triples, and
grabbed five boards vs Troy (11/21/10) ...

2010-11 NOTES
Scored nine points and dished out four assists vs Seton Hall (11/12/10) ... filled up the stat sheet with 10 points, nine rebounds, a career-high seven steals
and five assists vs. Troy (11/21/10) ... her seven steals vs. Troy rank second all-time in the FGCU record books for steals in a single game ...